Tradition and talent shine at Anukrama 2025

Nrityakalangan recently celebrated Anukrama 2025 under the aegis of Jalsa Chandra, its artistic director.

- TAPATI CHOWDHURIE

Anukrama was dedicated to Muthuswami Dikshitar, who lived 250 years ago. In his honour, Jalsa Chandra presented Mayura Keertanam, written by him.

The piece opened with verses from the Tevaram, where the Shaivite poet describes Lord Shiva’s descent to Mayavaram, offering peacock flowers to Devi Parvati, who was deep in penance in the form of a mayil, the peahen, amidst the fragrant mango groves.

Jalsa Chandra had choreographed the piece in Dhanyasi Ragam and Mishra chapu talam.

The Keertanam painted a luminous picture of Lord Mayuranatha, who is radiant as a thousand suns, adorned with divine ornaments; destroyer of Tripurasura; Lord of the five elements and the eternal embodiment of Nada, the cosmic sound. It was a solo piece painstakingly researched, practised and performed by Jalsa Chandra.

Kuchipudiperformer Lakshmi Kameshwari Vempati, the granddaughter ofthe legendary Guru Vempaty Chinna Satyam, performed ‘Neela Megha Sareeral Tarangam in Raag Malika and Tala Adi written by Narayana Teertha and choreographed by the legend.